Sokka's Destiny
by morbiusgreen
Summary: AU. What if Sokka had gone to find his mother during the raid instead of Katara? And what i, instead of being killed, he was captured and thrown in jail and while in there, discovers an ability he never knew he had. Title's dumb, but plz R&R? thx
1. Chapter 1

The sun shone brightly as the young nine year old Southern Water Tribe boy snuck towards his target, the eight year old girl with loopies in her hair. He smiled as he stood up to swing his arm, but she beat him to it. His head jerked back as the snowball hit him square in the face.

"Heh heh heh heh ha ha!" she giggled as the Water Tribe boy climbed over the mound of snow he had been hiding behind with a large snowball. He had just made it over when he stopped. It had started to snow, but the snow wasn't white. It was gray as soot. He dropped the snowball. The girl looked up as well. Their faces changed from happy to very concerned.

"I'm going to find Mom," the young girl said as she started to run off.

"No, Katara," the young boy grabbed her as she passed him. "I'll go and find her. You stay hidden."

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Okay, Sokka," she said as she rushed off. He began running towards their snow hut. Fire bombs exploded around him. Other men rushed assed him as they headed to the shore. Soon he could see the blue sheets that covered their doorway. He threw them aside as he entered.

"Mom!" he shouted. She was there, but she wasn't alone. A Fire Nation soldier was standing there, he turned and looked at the young boy.

"Just let him go, and I'll give you the information you want."

"You heard your mother. Get out of here!"

Sokka didn't say anything, he just looked at his mother, scared for her, but not for himself.

She obviously knew what her son was thinking because she said, "Go find your dad, sweetie, I'll handle this."

He looked up at the officer. His glare was a distinct glare. He looked back at his mother, nodded and left the hut, but he listened in instead of finding his dad.

He heard the Fire Nation man ask his mom, "Now tell me, who is it? Who's the waterbender?"

He heard his mother reply, "There are no waterbenders here. The Fire Nation took them all away a long time ago."

"You're lying," The Fire Nation man growled. "My source says there's one waterbender left in the Southern Water Tribe. We're not leaving until we find the waterbender."

"If I tell you, do you promise to leave the rest of this village alone?"

He heard the man agree with a grunt. Sokka was horrified. They were talking about his own sister. His anger was quickly fueled. They were going to take his sister away. He had to act.

"It's–" his mother started, but Sokka jumped in and proclaimed in as loud a voice as he could muster, "It's me! I'm the waterbender you're looking for! Take me!"

The man looked down at the child, a look of surprise on his face. Sokka's mother looked at Sokka in shock. She couldn't say anything.

"Hmmmm. My orders are to take the waterbender into custody if he or she was younger than fourteen. How old is he?"

"N-Nine," Sokka's mother replied.

"Take me!" Sokka repeated, "and leave the rest of my village alone."

The man didn't say another word. He reached behind his back, grabbed a rope and bound Sokka's hands and feet tight. He also gagged him.

As he was leaving, he turned to Sokka's mother and said, "Thank you for your hospitality." He threw Sokka over his shoulder and ran out.

There were tears in Sokka's eyes as he took one last look at his home. He caught a glimpse of Katara hiding in a snow bank. For one second their eyes locked. Katara's eyes filled with tears at the sight. He saw her get up and run toward the battle, towards where their father was.

"Stop the attack! We have what we came for, let's go!"

"Yes, Commander Yon Rha," one of the Fire Nation soldiers replied. He signaled the other soldiers, who began to fall back to the ships. As soon as they boarded, the man referred to as Yan Ra untied Sokka and tossed him into a hot and dry cell.

"Attention all hands, set a course for the Fire Nation. We're going home."

"So, this is the last waterbender in the south pole, Commander."

"Yes he is, my lord."

Sokka's hands were tied to two poles that were outstretched as he was presented to the Fire Lord. His hair and clothes were a mess. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. The one and a half month journey back had been torture for him. He had been barely fed.

"He is only nine, correct?"

"That was what his mother told us, my lord."

The Fire Lord stood and passed through the fire wall that blazed in front of his throne. He took Sokka's chin in hand and roughly turned his head to one side.

"You may think your skills are better than mine, little one, but don't underestimate me," the Fire Lord said as he looked into the young boy's eyes. Sokka glared at the Fire Lord as he turned and went back to his throne.

"What shall I do with him, sir?"

The Fire Lord sat down on his throne calmly and collectedly. "Throw him into the Tower outside the city."

"Yes, my lord," Yon Rha said as he bowed. The two soldiers holding the poles that bound Sokka's hands also bowed. They took Sokka out.

As he was being led out, they passed three girls playing. One of them saw Sokka. She smiled evilly as she walked over to them.

"So, I see you were successful in capturing the last southern waterbender."

Yon Rha bowed to the girl. "Yes, Princess Azula."

By this time the two other girls had joined her. One of them who had shiny black hair recoiled at the sight of the dirty waterbender. The other, however, looked at the boy with sorrow.

"So, are you going to take him to the Tower?"

"Yes I am."

The girl took Sokka's chin just like her father had done. "Good luck escaping from the Tower," she said as she laughed evilly. She turned and walked away. The girl who had looked sorry for him took one last look at him before joining the princess.

"Come on, boy," Yon Rha snarled as the two guards led him away. Soon they were at the entrance to the Tower. It was a massive structure built into the side of the mountain. He took one last look at the sun, thinking that it would be his last glimpse of daylight as the door slammed shut behind him.

It had been almost a year since Sokka had been thrown in this place. He was now ten. His Water Tribe clothes had been taken from him and he had been dressed in red prison garb. Every time he was given water his hands were bound. Dry air was pumped in so that the other waterbenders couldn't use the moisture. They were suspended above the ground.

One day in the second month he watched as a prisoner attempted escape. He watched as the Fire Nation guards captured the old waterbender. Watching the soldiers firebend somehow awakened something in Sokka. He clenched his fists, angry that he couldn't do anything to help the old man.

"Hey, Sokka, your pants are on fire."

It was the prisoner next to him. Sokka looked down and noticed that his pants were indeed on fire. He yelped as he patted the fire out.

"How'd that happen?" he asked his fellow prisoner.

"I don't know. I was watching the fight below."

Sokka sighed and sat back down. He looked at where both the burned portions of the clothes were. They were at his sides where his fists had been.

He decided to try something crazy later that night. He remembered one of the firebending moves that one of the guards used. He tried to replicate it, but the first two times he fell on the ground. Finally, with a look of fierce determination on his face, Sokka took a deep breath and performed the move.

What happened next surprised even him. Fire shot out of his hands and through the bars. He looked at his hands. He opened his palms and concentrated. A small flame appeared over his hands. His eyes widened in horror. _How is that possible,_ he thought to himself. _I'm from the Water Tribe, not the Fire Nation_. Not knowing what to do next, he just went to sleep.

After a few days, he began to realize that this new ability could help him escape his prison. When every other prisoner was asleep he would try and perfect a certain skill, heating the bars so that he could bend them. He also practiced other attacks just in case he had to fight his way out. He assumed that he's be in for at least another year, but, to his surprise, he had mastered the technique.

One night, when the guards shift was changing, Sokka began to put his plan into action. He grabbed a hold of the bars and concentrated. Soon, the bars began to glow a dull, fiery red. Amazingly, his hands didn't burn. In a few short minutes, he was able to bend the bar. Before he jumped, he looked around to make sure no one could see him. He jumped and rolled to the side.

After a year in a Fire Nation prison, he was finally free.

* * *

**A story idea I've had for a really long time. Enjoy!**

**morbiusgreen**


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, you! How'd you get out?"

Sokka froze. He turned slowly to see a guard who he'd obviously missed.

"You're going back in your cage," he said as he formed a fireball.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Sokka shouted as he threw a blast of his own at the guard. He obviously wasn't expecting it as he fell down, unconscious. Sokka rushed passed him. He snuck through the prison, looking for the door he had come in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Prisoner escape!" he heard someone shout. An alarm began to sound as Fire Nation soldiers rushed in. Being so small, he was able to crawl where the soldiers couldn't. Soon, he saw the door. His brief moment of joy turned to despair as he saw that it was starting to close, and what was worse, a soldier was guarding it.

He knew that he had no choice but to press forward. He stood up and ran as fast as he could toward the closing door. The soldier took a fighting stance, but before he could fire, Sokka threw a fireball at him, knocking him clear on his back. His body blocked the door so that it didn't close. Sokka jumped over the man and fled into the night.

He heard footsteps behind him, so he ran in zig zags, trying to evade the guards. He finally took a turn and dove into some bushes. The guards appeared and stopped mere feet from where he was.

"Where did he go? He couldn't have run very far."

"I don't know. You go to the river. He may try and cross it. I'll head for the woods." They ran off.

Sokka considered himself fortunate; he now knew two places where he couldn't go. The problem, however, was where he could go. He waited until they were well out of earshot until he came out again. He looked around and saw some clothes hanging out to dry. He rushed over.

It took him a few moments to pick out a good Fire Nation disguise. He went into an abandoned alley and changed. In the alley was a pitcher of clean water. He used that to try and clean himself up as best he could. He changed into his disguise, which didn't fit very well. After changing, he took a peak out. He saw the lights of a small town just down the mountain. During his trip to the prison he'd been bound and gagged, and he didn't know exactly where he was, only that he was in the Tower, an infamous Fire Nation Prison for southern waterbenders. He shivered in the cold night air as he ran down the hill towards the small town. He didn't know exactly what he was doing, but his prison scarred mind was telling him that the town would be a safe place to hide.

Bushes and brambles caught on his new clothes and he fell a few times, but eventually he made it to the village, hair and clothes a mess. He reached the edge of the forest. Barely anyone was out. Fire Nation soldiers were patrolling the area. He snuck out and tried to act natural. He had just gotten past one group of soldiers when he tripped.

"Hey, you!"

Sokka's eyes widened in fear. He stood up and turned to the voice.

"Shouldn't you be at home?" the grim looking soldier asked.

"S-sorry," Sokka replied. "I got lost, but now I know where I am."

"Well, hurry up and go home."

Sokka nodded and walked off quickly. Soon, however, he was not paying attention where he was going again.

_He could hear the screams of his fellow tribesman as they defended their home against the Fire Nation onslaught. He remembered the scared look in Katara's eyes as she started to find their mom. He saw his mother's sweet, caring face as she told him to leave and find his father, he remembered his last glimpse of Katara's frightened face as the man called Yon Rha had carried him off._

"Ooof!" He was so deep in memory that he didn't even see the elegantly dressed couple. He collided head on with the woman. He found himself on his back.

"Oh, my! Are you alright, little one?"

He looked up. He could barely see the woman's face, but something in her voice reminded him of his mother.

"I'm ok," he said as the woman helped him up. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of the woman's face in the light of a torch on the wall. She looked almost exactly like his mother.

Finally, the events of the past year caught up with him and he broke down. He fell to his knees and cried. He felt himself being pulled into a hug by the woman. For the first time in a long time, he felt secure and safe.

"Poor boy. Where's your family?"

"I…" he thought quickly, despite the fact that he was crying. "I don't have any."

"You poor thing. What should we do with him, Ryujin?" She was obviously addressing the man.

"I don't know, Kiyo. Let's take him home and wash him up. He looks like he's had a hard day."

Sokka felt himself being picked up. He was taken to their house, which turned out to be a very large palace.

"Teor! Could you prepare some water for a bath?" the man shouted as soon as they arrived. "We have an unexpected guest."

"Yes sir." The couple rushed upstairs into a large bathroom. Water was being poured into a large basin. Reaching out his hand, Ryujin firebended at the water, and it was instantly steaming.

"Here, let me help you with your clothes," Kiyo began to help him take off his clothes, but Sokka waved her off.

"Thanks, but I'd prefer it if you didn't see me, well, you know…"

She nodded and smiled. "Okay. I'll have someone bring you a towel and some bed clothes."

"Thank you." Sokka said. They left. He undressed and looked at himself in the mirror. He was very gaunt from a year of poor nutrition. His dark skin had become lighter than normal due to the lack of sunlight in his prison. He looked down at his arm and saw the burn scar. When they had first thrown him in prison, they had branded him with the symbol that they branded every southern waterbender with: the symbol of both water tribes.

He climbed into the basin. The hot water felt good on his skin. It had been more than a year since he had a decent bath. He let the hot water soak through his skin. It felt like it was cleaning more than just his body, but his soul as well.

After he had felt he had been sufficiently cleaned, he got out. One of the servants had brought him a towel and some fresh clothing. He dried and got dressed. These clothes actually fit him.

Sokka walked out and down the stairs. Sitting on the couches were the couple who had brought him in.

"You look much better," the woman known as Kiyo commented as she made room for him on the couch. "What's your name?"

"Sokka," he replied.

"Sokka," Ryujin said. "That's an unusual name."

Sokka began to sweat. Ryujin and Kyio looked at each other, and then back at Sokka. Their expression had changed.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"N–no." Tears began to form in his eyes as he feared that they knew who he was and that they were going to turn him in.

He was only half right. Ryujin leaned forward and asked, "You're from one of the Water Tribes, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not!" Sokka shouted defiantly, but he knew that they didn't believe him.

"Sokka, Sokka, it's okay. We're not going to turn you in or anything like that."

He looked at Kiyo, then back at Ryujin. Something inside him told him that they could be trusted, so he told them the whole story even the story of his escape.

As soon as she was finished, Kiyo slid over and pulled him into a hug. "Poor boy, you've been through so much."

"You're completely welcome to stay with us. We'll hide you from the soldiers." Ryujin assured him, "but I think you'll need a new name."

"What about Lee? There're a million people named Lee out there."

"No," Sokka said. He wasn't going around being called Lee.

"Tatsu," Ryujin said simply.

Sokka rolled it over in his mind. He liked it, so he nodded fervently.

"Tatsu it is, then."

Sokka, or Tatsu as his cover name now was, yawned.

"Oh, my! It's past midnight," Kiyo exclaimed. "We should go to sleep. That meeting went way too long."

Sokka's eyes became heavy. He soon felt enveloped in Kiyo's arms as she carried him upstairs. He didn't even remember hitting the pillow as he fell into a deep, refreshing sleep.

* * *

**Not exactly my best work. Sorry. Enjoy!**

**morbiusgreen**


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, Sokka. The key to making lightning is to have a calm mind. Once you separate the positive and negative energies, you don't command it. You are guiding it."

The young twelve year old Sokka, or Tatzu as he now called himself when he was in public (Ryujin had changed the S to a Z because it made him appear more like he was from the Fire Nation), breathed deeply. He closed his eyes, brought his right index finger and right middle finger together and curved his arm up. Blue sparks of lightning began to form at the tip of the fingers. He brought his left hand up in the same position. He focused the conflicting energies in his body at the rock. He released it.

The lightning flowed in a straight line towards the distant rock in the ocean the surrounded Ember Island.

"Good job, Sokka." Sokka grinned.

"Now, let's go back to simple fire blasts. Remember to breathe, Sokka."

He went back to his firebending stance. He breathed, and felt the air flowed through his body and become energy. The energy from the rising sun poured through him as he channeled the energy past his limbs and blasted another rock.

"Drill it again!" Ryujin said.

Sokka dropped his stance and breathed heavily. "I've been drilling for almost half the day. Can't I take a break?"

"One more time, then you may have a break."

Sokka inhaled again, feeling the energy flow through his body, only this time, it felt more intense than usual. He thrust his hand out and created fire. Only this time, something was different.

A bit of the fire had changed color. A small sliver of it had been blue.

Sokka flew backward into the brush, the force of the blast knocking him clear off his feet.

"Are you all right, Sokka?" Ryujin, whom Sokka had finally grown comfortable calling "Dad," rushed over to his adopted son.

Sokka groaned as he stood and brushed the sand off his clothes. "What was that?"

"What happened, sweetie?" Kiyo was bringing out hot cakes from their summer house on Ember Island.

"He…he has the Gift."

Kiyo, or Mom as Sokka now called her, dropped the plate in shock.

"Are…are you sure?"

Sokka looked up at his foster parents, a confused look on his face.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"

They turned to him.

"There have been rare cases among firebenders," Ryujin began, "where their fire was blue instead of yellow. Your mother can, on occasion, make blue fire. It seems, however, that you may have what firebenders call the Gift, the ability to easily make blue fire."

"What's the difference?" Sokka's young mind didn't grasp the significance.

"Blue firebending," Kiyo replied, "is much hotter and more deadly than regular firebending. If you truly have the Gift, as Ryujin believes, then you are a true firebending prodigy."

As they were talking, a messenger came up to them and handed them a scroll.

"Who's it from, Dad?"

He didn't answer at first, seeming to go into more shock than he'd been in before. Sokka repeated the question.

"It…it's from Fire Lord Ozai," he stated. "He, General Iroh, Prince Zuko and Princess Azula are here on the island and they have invited us, along with some other prominent Fire Nation families, to come to the Fire Lord's summer house."

_Azula_, Sokka thought. Where had he heard that name before?

"We need to get ready," Ryujin continued, "It's in a few hours. Go inside and wash up, _Tatzu_."

Sokka/Tatzu grinned and ran inside. He ran up to his room and searched his closet and picked out his best outfit. It was then that he realized who they would be going to see. The Fire Lord and his family. He might be given away.

He walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. A different face looked back at him. When he left the South Pole, his skin had been dark and tan. That year in prison, however, had changed that. He was now as white as anyone from the Fire Nation. His hair was up, but not in the Water Tribe style. It was in the Fire Nation style. He no longer had his Water Tribe clothes (they had been taken from him). His boomerang, however, was still at the South Pole. He had left it in the snow before he started to play with Katara.

Katara. He missed her. He missed his real family. He hoped that they were doing alright.

"Oh, of course they're all right," he said out loud, wiping the tears from his eyes. "They've got Dad, the best warrior there is." But he still felt unusually guilty and he didn't know why.

"Sokka? Are you ready to go?" Kiyo came in to check on him. She saw Sokka's face and immediately became concerned.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

He sniffed and replied, "I miss my Water Tribe family."

Kiyo immediately understood. She too had lost her family. She was actually a lost member of the Bei Fong family. She was Lao Bei Fong's younger sister. While on a trip she had been captured by Fire Nation soldiers and brought to the Fire Nation as a slave. The family that bout her was Ryujin's family. They treated her very well. After only a year of servitude, they freed her and let her live with them. She eventually found that she was a firebender and began to learn alongside Ryujin. They fell in love and married when they were both twenty one.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. And I know that we can't replace your family."

Sokka nodded.

"Now, c'mon, Sokka. Let's get prepared. We're meeting the Fire Lord and his family."

"Lord Ryujin, Lady Kiyo and their son, Tatzu have arrived," the doorman announced as the three stepped in and bowed to the Fire Lord.

Kiyo placed a supportive hand on her sons shoulder as they walked into the house. Sokka immediately felt safer as they walked into the massive Ember Island mansion the Fire Lord owned.

"My lord, may I introduce our son, Tatzu."

Ozai looked at Sokka with a placid look. Sokka hoped that the years he had spent in the Fire Nation had changed him enough so that he didn't look like the nine year old Water Tribe boy.

Sokka bowed. "My lord, it is an honor to be in your illustrious presence." He repeated the greeting with an air of fake demure, filled with disgust on the inside.

The Fire Lord smiled at the greeting and then turned. "This is my older brother, General Iroh." An older, heavyset man stepped forward and bowed. The Fire Lord continued, "My oldest son, Prince Zuko and my daughter, Princess Azula."

Sokka bowed to the prince, who bowed back, but with an air of resentment. After the bow, he walked off. When he turned to bow to the princess, he almost froze. He recognized her as the girl whom he had seen before he was taken to prison. He recovered himself and bowed.

When he came back up, a chill went through him. Azula was staring at him with cold, yellow eyes. She seemed to be searching for something.

He was saved by one of her two friends coming up and saying in a high pitched, hyperactive voice, "Isn't this a wonderful party?"

It was the girl who had done those flips that day. Behind her came the third, gloomy looking girl.

"Are you serious, Ty Lee?" she asked, her deep voice almost monotone, "It's sooo boring."

Sokka looked around for his parents, but they were mingling with some of the other adults. He breathed in, trying to calm down.

_Remember to breath_, he heard his adopted father's voice say. After that, he heard another voice. His real father's voice.

_Never be afraid_.

He turned back to the three girls. Ty Lee was looking at him with a strange look. If he didn't know any better, it was a seductive look. She apparently liked him, or at least thought that he was cute.

"So, Tatzu, you wanna play with us?" Ty Lee asked.

Sokka shrugged. "Why not? There's nothing else to do."

Ty Lee grabbed his hand and dragged him along. "C'mon, let's go outside!"

The gloomy girl followed her.

"You go ahead, I'm gonna grab Zuko," Azula finally said, giving Sokka one last look before she turned back to fetch her brother.

Sokka let himself be dragged outside by the energetic girl. Soon, he was outside. The sun was just beginning to set. A gentle breeze blew through Sokka's hair as he leveled his gaze on the beautiful yellows, oranges and reds of the Ember Island sunset.

"C'mon, whaddaya wanna do?"

The energetic voice interrupted him. He turned back to Ty Lee. Her brown eyes were wide.

Sokka furled his brows. "I don't know–"

"Azula! I don't want to play with you!" Sokka and Ty Lee turned to see Prince Zuko walking out of the house, looking like he was being dragged out by his younger sister.

"C'mon, Zuko. After all, we're brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together."

Zuko closed his eyes and Sokka could see a pained look come over hm. He turned to Azula, who was smiling cruelly. Sokka could sense the tension between the siblings, but it seemed much worse than anything he and Katara had ever been through.

_No_, he thought as he breathed in, feeling the energy flow through him. _I'm not going to think about my family now. I'll blow my cover, and I can't fight my way out of the Fire Lord's house._

"Wanna do some practice?" Azula asked as she pulled some apples from one of the trees and placed them on the top of the fence. "C'mon, Zuko, it'll do you some good."

Even though the breeze was really warm, the tone in Azula's voice was enough to make Sokka shiver again.

"As long as it isn't on top of my head, like last time," The gloomy girl said in her monotone voice.

"Oh, c'mon, Mai, it was funny last time."

"No, it wasn't," Zuko replied.

Azula scoffed at that, then turned her attention towards Sokka.

"What about you Tatzu? Target practice sound like fun?"

Sokka kept his emotions in restraint as he bowed and replied coolly, "Of course, your highness."

"Okay, then. You are a firebender, right?"

Sokka considered answering in the negative, but decided it wasn't very much of a risk. He nodded in response.

"Okay, the game is simple. Whoever hits the most apples wins. Zuko, you go first."

Zuko sighed and got into a stance. He breathed in. Sokka noticed that his form wasn't perfect. He thought to himself, _He's gonna fall_.

He was able to knock over around five of the apples before falling flat on his face. Azula laughed at that.

"Mai, your next," Azula said as she put five new apples on the fence.

Sokka expected for her to get into a firebending stance. He was wrong. From seemingly out of nowhere he saw stilettos some from out of Mai's long robes and hit seven of the targets. Three of them she missed.

"Okay, I'm next, and then you can go, Tatzu."

Sokka nodded and watched as she replaced the apples and walked back. She got into her stance, which was much closer to perfect than her brothers. She hit nine of the ten apples.

"Good luck beatinging me, Tatzu," she somewhat sneered as she sat down on the ground.

"I shall attempt my best, your highness," he bowed. He then turned to the tree, plucked ten apples and placed them carefully on the fence.

"All kinds of firebending count, right?" he asked. Azula nodded. He then turned back and said, "Give me a minute to prepare." He closed his eyes and inhaled. He felt the yin and yang energy around him. He repeated what he'd done earlier that morning, only much more subdued. The single small bolt of lightning knocked over the first apple with deadly precision.

In the corner of his eye he saw Azula's eyes widen in complete surprise. The eyes of the others were even wider.

"Wh–where did you learn that?"

Sokka turned back for a second and replied, "Dad taught me," before turning back and getting into a basic firebending stance. He inhaled and released the energy. Like the incident this morning, the fire was mostly yellow, but with a hint of blue in it, but unlike earlier, he knew what to expect. He'd spent all day practicing. He knocked over the second apple. He inhaled again, and channeled the energy at the next one. This time, more of his fire had become blue. He hadn't felt this full of energy before, but he heeded his dad's advice not to let the fire control him. Instead, as he systematically hit and knocked over the remaining eight, he saw that his fire was becoming bluer with each shot. In fact, on the last one, his fire was completely blue.

He inhaled and exhaled again, cooling down. Sweat had begun to form on his brow.

Azula was looking at him with a mixture of surprise and jealousy, the rest looked just shocked, even Mai looked a bit astonished.

Sokka returned and bowed to the princess, a smug look barely escaping him. "I believe I have won, your highness. If you will excuse me, I am going back inside to find my parents."

He walked back inside. The rest of the night he spent avoiding the angry glances of Azula and flirtations glances of Ty Lee. Before the night was over, he walked out to the beach and began to meditate.

"May I join you?" a kinder older voice asked.

Sokka looked up and saw General Iroh. He stood and bowed respectfully, only this time it was genuine. He had sensed that the man was very kindly earlier.

"Of course, General Iroh."

The general sat in the sand in the lotus position. Sokka joined him and continued meditating. They sat like that for about ten minutes before the general spoke.

"I saw you with the others earlier this evening."

"Really?" Sokka's heart raced. Was he in trouble?

Iroh nodded. "You are indeed a gifted firebender. I have never seen anyone beat my niece like that before."

Sokka smiled and thanked him, his heart rate slowing down.

"Do you study any other form of self defense besides firebending, Tatzu?" Iroh asked.

Sokka didn't expect that question. "No," he replied.

Iroh nodded, seemingly in thought. He asked again, "Your parents mentioned that after this visit to Ember Island, you were going to move to Shu Jing. Is that true?"

They had indeed discussed this with Sokka, and he replied to Iroh's question in the positive.

"You do know that sword master Piandao lives there, don't you?"

Sokka didn't.

"You should try and take up sword fighting as well. I have seen that firebenders who take up sword fighting become even better at their firebending. Besides, he is a very kind man. I'm sure he would teach you. I even mentioned that to your parents, and they agreed, but only if you're up to it."

Sokka thought about it. _It would be nice to be a master swordsman_, he thought.

"I never thought of that. I'd have to think about it, but it does sound interesting."

Iroh smiled and stood up. "A pleasure to meet you again, Tatzu," he said as he rose and bowed. Sokka stood and returned the bow.

"Oh! Before I leave, I want you to have this." Iroh reached into his sleeve and brought out a necklace. In the dim light of the moon he could see that it was a Pas Sho tile necklace, specifically a White Lotus, only this one wasn't wood. It was silvery with hints of gold and diamond in it.

"Thanks," Sokka said, confused. Iroh walked back to the house. Sokka put the necklace in one of his pouches and returned to his meditating.

Little did he know how that necklace would help him in a few weeks.

* * *

**How this night will change many things for our hero. Stay tuned for the next installment! Please R&R! Thx**

**morbiusgreen**


	4. Chapter 4

"Remember, Sokka, the sword is an extension of yourself, like–"

"–like an extra long, really sharp arm. I understand, master."

Master Piandao, the swordsman who lived in the castle overlooking Shu Jing looked at his fifteen year old pupil and smiled. Sokka smiled back, bowed, and then resumed his drilling in the rain with Piandao's butler, Fat.

When he had come here a few years ago, Sokka hadn't revealed who he was, but after a few days he felt guilty and told him. Piandao had fought him and won. He then explained that the way of the sword wasn't restricted by the borders of the four nations. Piandao had continued to train him throughout the course of the next few years. He had trained in downpours and blazing heat. He no longer looked like a young fifteen year old. His muscles were very developed and hard. He gathered himself more like an adult than a child. His parents had noticed a very dramatic change in him during those years. He was known, however, to still elicit some childish qualities.

"Sokka!" Piandao shouted.

Sokka didn't look up, but shouted in reply, "Yes master?" as he dogged Fat's lunge.

"Remember to pay attention!"

"Understood!" Sokka said as he again knocked Fat's wooden sword out of his hand. Sokka brought the tip of his wooden sword up to Fat's neck. Knowing he had lost, Fat surrendered.

After seeing Fat surrender, Sokka faced Piandao and bowed. Piandao bowed slightly in return and took a sip of his tea.

"That is enough training for today, Sokka. You may return home. Tomorrow, we'll start something new."

"Um, master…?" Sokka began, and then stopped. He wasn't sure how this would go.

"Yes, Sokka?"

"Tomorrow's my birthday, and I was hoping to spend it with my family. I know that training is very important, but can we meet the day after tomorrow?"

Piandao smiled. "Very well, I will make an exception just this once. Enjoy you day tomorrow, but I want to see you an hour earlier the next day. I have a special project for you."

Sokka smiled in anticipation. "I can hardly wait. Well, see you in two days, master," he said as he picked up his gear and left.

Piandoa watched his pupil run off. _He's a very good student, and a very strong and talented warrior_, he thought as he sipped more of his tea. _I have no doubt that there are great things in store for this young man._

Sokka ran home as fast as his legs could carry him. Even though he was tired, he was excited for tomorrow. He could hardly wait to get into bed.

"Good evening, Master Tatzu," Teor, his adoptive family's butler, greeted him as he entered the house. Teor was the only other person in the whole world who knew who Sokka really was, but still called him Tatzu when he was around. Soka didn't mind, it was good practice.

"Good evening, Teor," Sokka replied as he handed his training gear to Teor. "How were things here today?"

"Same old, same old," Teor replied innocently. Sokka could see the amusement in his eyes, but decided not to push it like he usually did.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" he asked. He could now call them that without feeling as homesick as he had before.

"They're in the living room," Teor replied as he walked up to Sokka's room to place his gear away.

Sokka walked in, and sure enough, there were his adopted parents.

"Hey Mom! Hey, Dad!"

"Sokka, honey, come here!" Kiyo smiled as she beckoned to her adopted son. Sokka rushed to his mother and hugged her tightly.

"Oof! You're getting strong, Sokka. Soon, you'll be able to lift me, if you aren't able to already."

Sokka smiled.

"So, how was your day with Master Piandao?" Ryujin looked up from the scroll that he was reading and faced his son.

"Tiring, as usual, but he did give me the day off tomorrow because of my birthday!"

Ryujin and Kiyo looked at each other and smiled. "Oh? It's your birthday tomorrow?" Ryujin said sarcastically. "I forgot."

"Daaaad!"

"He's just kidding, Sokka," Kiyo said while Ryujin laughed at his own joke. "We've got a fun day planned for you tomorrow."

Sokka's eyes lit up with childish excitement, but he calmly asked, "Really?"

"Really. Now go and get ready for supper."

"Okay, Mom." He gave her a quick kiss than ran up to his room to take off his sweaty clothes. After a very satisfying pre-birthday dinner, he went to bed.

_Clouds surrounded him as he hovered over the earth. He looked around, wondering where he was. Suddenly, the clouds blew away, and he found himself hovering on a large sheet of ice. He looked around. He recognized this place. It was near his old village in the Southern Water Tribe. Eventually he came to a point where the ice was melted. _

_He saw a boat. Inside was a single person wrapped in Water Tribe blue. As it came closer, he saw the face._

_"Katara!" He shouted and waved as she passed him. She didn't seem to notice him as she passed. She looked like she was trying to waterbend something. Eventually he saw that she was waterbending a fish in a globe of water._

_"Yes! I got one!" she shouted excitedly. She lowered the fish into the boat and continued down the stream. It was only then that Sokka saw the danger._

_"Katara! Look out for the current!"_

_"She can't hear you, Sokka. This hadn't happened yet."_

_Sokka turned and found himself facing an old man. He was dressed in Fire Nation garb and was seated on a dragon._

_"Get on, Sokka. You need to see this."_

_The dragon lowered its neck and Sokka found himself suddenly seated next to the old man. He felt the large beast rise and begin to fly._

_"Who…who are you?" Sokka asked as he turned to the old man._

_The man turned to him. "I am Avatar Roku."_

_Sokka gasped. He had heard his adopted parents tell him about the last Avatar. He bowed to the old man._

_"I am honored to be in your presence," Sokka said, meaning it. Avatar Roku smiled, then turned his attention to the ground._

_"Look," he said. Sokka looked at where Roku's hand was pointing. He saw that Katara had crashed her boat and was now clinging to a small chunk of ice. They moved in closer._

_"Sokka, if you were here, I know what you'd say. 'Leave it to a girl to mess things up,' right?" She stood and clenched her fists. Tears came to her eyes._

_"I'm so sorry, Katara," Sokka said, tears forming in his eyes. He wiped them away quickly. "I would never say something like that now."_

_"Why!" she screamed. "Why did you leave! What happened that day! Mom and Dad won't tell me! It's just not fair!" She threw her hands back. Sokka saw that the water was beginning to move._

_"Katara! Stop!"_

_"She can't hear you, Sokka. This hasn't even happened yet."_

_Sokka turned and watched as she threw her hands back again. A large wall of water flew up from the ocean and the iceberg behind her cracked in two. She gasped as it collapsed. A large wave came towards her. As Sokka watched she threw herself down and held on to the edge of the small iceberg she was on. Thankfully, the water settled down and she was able to stand up._

_"What was that?" she asked herself._

_Sokka smiled. "I always knew you were weird, Katara."_

_"Keep watching," Roku said._

_His smile dropped when he saw what happened next. The ocean began to stir where the ice had sunk. Suddenly a large block of ice shot up from out of the water. The strange part was that it appeared to be giving off some sort of light._

_"Whoa. What-" She stopped midsentence. Her eyes widened in amazement. Reaching behind her, she grabbed something hanging from a pouch hanging from her back. _

_"Hey, that's my boomerang!" Sokka said._

_"Keep watching," Roku repeated. Sokka looked and saw her take the sharp end of the boomerang and start to hit the ice. Sokka finally saw what was inside. He gasped. It appeared to be a small human figure, a boy by the looks of it._

_Suddenly the ice cracked. A blast of air hit Katara and threw her back. The ice cracked until the crack reached the top. A bright pillar of blue light shot up of the top of the iceberg. Sokka shielded his eyes from the intense light. Eventually it died down. When Sokka opened his eyes, he found himself standing on the iceberg staring down at the person who had been inside. Katara ran past him and rolled the person over._

_The person was a child. He couldn't be older than eleven or twelve. He was dressed in some strange clothes._

_Roku finally spoke up again. "I cannot tell you who this child is, Sokka. You'll find out eventually. All I can tell you is that when you meet this child, your true destiny will finally be revealed. All I can tell you is that you are to leave the Fire Nation three days from now and head northeast. There will be a ferry there on its way to Ember Island. Take it. Say your goodbyes and prepare for the journey."_

_"But…"_

_"You must do this, Sokka. If you don't, the war might be won by Fire Lord Ozai."_

_Suddenly the world began to spin…_

"Ooof!"

Sokka found himself wrapped up in his covers on the floor of his bedroom. He had fallen out of bed. The sun shone brightly through his window. He could hear the waterfalls of the canyon near the edge of town.

"Are you sure it was Avatar Roku?" Ryujin asked at breakfast after Sokka had run down and told them who he dreamed about.

Sokka pointed over to the image of the previous Avatar that was hanging over their fireplace. "I'm almost positive of it," he replied, "the man in my dreams was that man right there."

Kiyo exchanged a look with Ryujin then looked back at Sokka. "What did you dream about?"

Sokka told them everything he had seen. "Was it just a dream? Or does it mean something else?"

Ryujin sighed. "The latter, Sokka. We were visited by Roku a few nights ago. He told us that we had to prepare you for a long journey."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sokka asked.

"We weren't sure if it was just a dream or a real message or not. We didn't want to send you away on something as ridiculous as a dream. But now that you've had a dream with Avatar Roku in it, we are sure." Ryujin stood and hugged his son. Kiyo did the same, even Teor, who had been standing there listening.

"We'll celebrate your birthday today, don't you worry, but tomorrow, you must begin packing. I will send a message to Piandao explaining our situation. I'm sure he will understand."

"I will go at once sir," Teor said, walking to get his hat.

"Teor, wait," Ryujin said. Teor stopped.

"It can wait until the day is over. You should come with us today."

Teor's eyes widened and Sokka could have sworn he saw a tear glistening in his eyes. "Thank you master."

The day was one of the best birthdays he had ever experienced. They went swimming, looked around some of the shops in town, even enjoyed a few of the local firebending displays.

"Best…birthday…ever…" Sokka said, exhausted as he collapsed on his bed. His adopted parents stood at his door and smiled at him. Teor chose that moment to come bursting into the house.

"Master Tatzu! Piandao has a message for you!"

Sokka sat up and looked past his parents. "What is it?"

Teor handed him a piece of parchment. Sokka opened it.

**Come to my house tomorrow. There is something I need to give to you before you leave. Piandao.**

"I wonder what it means," Ryujin pondered after he read it himself.

"I don't know," Kiyo said, "but Sokka, be sure to go."

"I will, Mom," Sokka replied.

The next day was spent packing as much as he could carry. He finished packing at around mid to late afternoon. He decided to head to Piandao's house.

"The master is expecting you," Fat greeted him when Sokka arrived. "Follow me please." Sokka followed Fat to Piandao's office. His master sat in his chair, writing something.

"Master Piandao?"

The old swords master held up his hand, motioning for him to sit and wait. Sokka went to one of the couches and sat. A few moments later Piandao finished writing and stood.

"Sokka, come," he said, not unkindly. Sokka stood and approached, confused as to what he wanted.

"You had something for me, Master?" Sokka asked.

"I do. One second, Sokka." Piandao grabbed his sword, which he also used as a cane and walked to a table. Sokka wtched as he grabbed a package and walked over to Sokka.

"This is for you, Sokka. May it help defend you in your journey. You may open it now if you wish."

Judging from the shape of the box, Sokka immediately knew what it was. He gingerly unwrapped the paper and lifted the lid of the wooden box.

There, glistening with symbols from every nation in the world, was the sword he had made not one week before. He picked it up and drew it halfway. The black metal shined in the torchlight.

"This sword is the strongest sword I have ever seen made," Piandao said after Sokka sheathed it. "Take care of it, Sokka."

"Yes master," Sokka replied, bowing to his master. Piandao bowed back.

"Now hurry home. You have a long journey ahead of you," the old master said with a smile.

Sokka nodded and went home.

"That is quite a gift there son," Ryujin said when he saw the sword.

"Don't go poking your eyes out, you hear me?" Kiyo said with a worried tone.

"Mom, I'll be fine," Sokka replied.

"I know, I'm just worried, Sokka."

"Honey, there's nothing we can do. He was called." Ryujin stood and straightened his clothes. "Come Sokka. Let's go outside."

Sokka followed his father out and for half of the rest of the day they rigorously practiced every firebending trick they had learned, and Sokka showed him one he had learned on his own.

"I've heard of only one other person who can firebend like that, Sokka," his father said with a smile.

"So have I," Sokka replied, splashing water onto his face.

After washing up and eating dinner, an excited and scared Sokka went to bed. As he drifted off, a single thought was in his mind.

_Tomorrow's going to change everything…_

* * *

**Been awhile since I posted anything on this story.**

**morbiusgreen**


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